Here Are The World’s 50 Best Restaurants For 2016

Here Are The World’s 50 Best Restaurants For 2016

Culinary luminaries from across the globe gathered Monday at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City for the announcement of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2016. It’s the first time in the prestigious list’s 15-year history that the annual accolades took place somewhere other than London. Next year, organizers will be taking the splashy ceremony to Melbourne, Australia.

This year’s highest honor belongs to Italy, however, as Osteria Francescana in Modena became the first Italian restaurant to take the top spot. (Check out our interview with its innovative chef, Massimo Bottura.) The prior no. 1, Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca, dropped to no. 2.

Sitting pretty at no. 3 this year is New York City’s Eleven Madison Park, up two places from no. 5. Peru’s Central held steady in fourth place, while last year’s runner-up, Copenhagen’s Noma, fell to fifth.

Other U.S. restaurants making big moves: NYC’s Estela made its first appearance on the list, at no. 44, while San Francisco’s Saison debuted all the way up at no. 27. Meanwhile, Chicago’s Alinea, fresh off its James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant, jumped 11 places to no. 15. It’s not all rosy news for the Americans: Famed U.S. restaurants Per Se and the French Laundry both dropped out of the Top 50.